Blocked Ear? Why Cotton Buds Make It Worse

Ear wax has a public relations problem.

People treat it as dirt. It is not. It is a mild antibacterial, it traps dust before it reaches your eardrum, and in most ears it works its way out on its own without you noticing.

The trouble starts when we help.

Why cotton buds backfire

A cotton bud is roughly the width of an ear canal. Put one in and you remove a little wax from the opening and push the rest deeper, where the canal narrows and the skin is thinner.

Do that daily for years and you get compacted wax sitting against the eardrum. That is the blockage. It was not there before the bud went in.

The old advice still holds: nothing smaller than your elbow.

What to try first

For most people, olive oil is genuinely the answer. Two or three drops in the affected ear, twice a day, for three to five days. Lie on your side for a few minutes afterwards and let it work.

It softens the wax so your ear can clear it. Sometimes that is all it needs, and you have saved yourself an appointment.

Give it the full few days before deciding it has not worked. One evening of drops is not a fair trial.

When to come and see us

If the drops have not shifted it, or the ear is genuinely blocked, microsuction is the modern option.

It is a small suction device and a microscope. No water, no syringing, no flushing your ear out. You can see what is happening, we can see what is happening, and most people are done in about fifteen minutes.

It is not painful. It is loud, in the way a hoover is loud. That is the honest description.

When it is not just wax

Some things need a doctor rather than a pharmacist, and quickly:

• Sudden hearing loss, particularly in one ear
• Discharge, especially if it smells or is bloodstained
• Significant pain, dizziness or ringing that is new
• A history of perforated eardrum or ear surgery

If any of those apply, speak to your GP. We will tell you the same thing if you come to us first, and we would rather you asked.

The short version

Leave your ears alone. Use oil if they block. Come and see us if the oil does not work.

You can read more on our Ear Health Clinic page or book an appointment whenever suits you.